He still got it!
by Exuperance18
Summary: Set on the episode Nate questioned Nell about Eric. What if he decided to test his 'touch' with Kensi as well!


**This idea came while I was re-watching the episode with Nate and how he confronts Nell quite bluntly on her seduction tactics towards Eric… What could have happened if he had come after Kensi and her feelings for Deeks …**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

Sam and Callen are at the gym and Deeks, is well … she made Deeks go for a donut run! Well, he offered to go, after she mentioned she was hungry so … She is all alone, sitting at her desk completing some paperwork when he approaches and startles her by speaking.

'So … um … Deeks and you, heh?' he lets the words hang in the air and waits to see her reaction. And … BINGO! Her eyes go frantically wide and her spine is now straight as an arrow.

Okay, so that's a discussion that seriously lacks a preamble here. Whoever said that psychologists were always beating around the bush was obviously very wrong!

'WHAT? What do you mean Deeks and me? Here she goes all defensive and on full protection mode. While Kensi is a very well trained and efficient agent in the field and can lie her way out of desperate and dangerous situations, she can't really lie to the people she works with … people she cares about.

'Let's be honest here … Even a blind man could see the strong bond between you two!'

She huffs and puffs and tries to refute the best way she can except she cannot 'There's nothing going on between Deeks and me! Nothing at all!'

She tries to appear as cool as possible but she feels the blush creeping on her face and knows she can try all she wants she just cannot sell that to a profiler who works with almost every governmental acronymic agency of the planet!

He sends her a 'we both know I know better' look before adding 'Oh come on Kensi! It's my job to detect when people lie. It's what I do for a living. And I can tell you that there is definitely something going on between you two, whether you decide to acknowledge it or not!'

She stays silent, at the moment it's the best option she can think of. That and grab her keys and make a run for the door. Nate may be able to read every people like a book but there is no doubt in her mind that she can outrun the man any day she wants! So yeah … she stays silent. Straight stance and dark eyes able to send him daggers …

When he speaks, his voice is soft and there is a teasing edge to it 'So … his obvious and blatant flirting with you … openly in front of the others … the continuous banter between you two… the witty retorts … your constant need to reach for him, to touch him …'

She huffs 'Oh my God Nate! Are you out of your mind? My constant need to … Oh my God! I punch him, I pinch him, and I slap him! THAT can hardly and legitimately be considered as a NEED to touch him! And for the records, Deeks is a serial flirter. He flirts. Like all the time! The only reason you haven't realized that is because you don't own a vagina!' she spats.

Nate raises his hands in surrender and can hardly manage to keep a straight face; that would be even easier than he thought…

'Okay Kens! I am sorry. I was not looking to upset you! I just …' she looks at him warily and he exhales softly, allowing her to cool herself.

'Well … I saw your records, and I must say they are really impressive. I mean, your partnership is still in its very early stage of development and you have track records that would usually take at least 6 or 7 years mark of partnership to achieve…' he sits quietly on the edge of her desk, his eyes all soft on her, trying to pierce and access her inner soul.

She shrugs 'OH! Well, what can I add? The records speak for themselves … as you said … and it is true that while Deeks and I have very different … personalities and share opposite … points of view on many, many subjects … we do work surprisingly well together!'

He smirks at that, the pauses in her speech giving her the time to pick up the appropriate wordings, only general and very noncommittal words … or so she thinks.

'Oh, come on Kensi! That guy has to be something else for you being able to tolerate him for so long? No?'

And here goes the clam shell show. If you look carefully enough, you can see her retreating. She eases her body to the back of her chair and she keeps her arms closed in front of her chest: THE typical defensive stance. Her face adorns a small grimace, something between a pout and greeted teeth jaws …

She shrugs, wishing that that simple gesture can relay an apparent state of relaxation, the utter opposite of the way she is currently feeling inside if she is being honest.

'Okay, so I guess the success of your partnership could be mainly attributed to you then. I mean, looking at your individual records, it's a no brainer to determine who is the star of that partnership!' he smiles smugly as he watches her facial features harden.

'No, it's not like that at all!' she replies coldly, her voice dangerously low, wishing it could be enough to make him shut his mouth or at least change the subject. But that doesn't work.

'Yeah? Really? Because I mean, that guy is obviously the average Joe playing cops so... I am just wondering how that whole thing can actually work so well between you two?'

'Well, maybe you should consider that the most important things are NOT mentioned in his file then!' she bites back.

He cocks his head while quietly sipping at his coffee cup, trying to appear nonchalant while he is secretly very pleased to have her exactly where he wants her!

'Um … How is that?' he replies slyly and that just does it for her. Her resolve to keep it all under wrap is gone. She rises from her chair and slowly approaches him, her eyes are narrowed and her lips are a small thin line clearly stating her angriness.

'I am talking about the fact that he is the most loyal person I ever worked with or met for that matter! He always gives without expecting anything in returns. He is brave and courageous and he is always there for me, having my back, even when I don't want him to! That's the kind of person he is, and if you think for one minute that you can figure it all out solely by looking at his records, then you're obviously very wrong!' she is fuming at that point! Literally seeing red! That guy, he may annoy the crap out of her on a regular basis but the hidden truth is that she would not trade him for anyone else.

She sobers a bit before adding 'he risked his own life to save mine and that on several occasions, so believe me when I say that he is exactly where he belongs, at NCIS, by my side!' she is as shocked as Nate when she hears herself talk these words out. Then only a few seconds after her slip, she sees a knowing smile adorning Nate's face and that's when she finally realizes that he had set up a trap and that she had ran -rather than walked- right into it!

She returns the same knowing smile, now waiting for him to say what he came to say.

'Does he know about that? I mean … have you ever told him how much he … this partnership means to you?' he quirks an interrogative eyebrow, his eyes are softer and all traces from the earlier complacent attitude are now totally gone.

She exhales softly while contemplating her feet. The reply is no, of course not. She tried a couple of times but Deeks had always been the one to back away. True, the circumstances were less than ideal at those times but still …

No words are spoken but yet Nate hears the reply loud and clear. He nods slowly, carefully picking his next words …

'Look, Kensi, I am not trying to middle here…' he pauses a bit when she snorts at that '…but all I am saying is that you two could talk and see if you are on the same page … Take the words of someone who hadn't had a real home in the last few years and knows the importance of having someone you can lean on if or when needed …' a companionate smile plastered on his face.

Those words from Nate are not totally stranger to her anyways, she had stayed in the dark more nights than she can count, thinking of him … At those times, she can also hear Sam's and Callen's voices in the back of her head talking about his 'baby blues' and his 'fluffy hair' …

She smiles at the thought. He may be loyal and brave and courageous just as she just told Nate a few seconds ago but his most remarkable trait is definitely persistency. There isn't one day during which he doesn't make her feel that he likes having her in his life even if it means he has to annoy her in the process, but the end result is still the same. It's always the same. And it feels good to know it.

She releases a small breath and locks her eyes into Nate's kind ones. She doesn't say a word but her smile says it all.

She starts to pack some of the stuff on her desk when she stops hearing Deeks' voice.

'Hey Kens! They didn't have any strawberry left so I guess you're going to have to settle for your Twinkles if you really craving strawberry that much…' he raises his head 'hey Nate!'

He sends a beaming smile to both of them, his eyes sweeping from one to the other. He takes in Kensi's slightly flushed face and the satisfied expression on Nate's.

Looking at the desk, he can see that Kensi had started to pack for the day. Locking his eyes into hers he adds 'Ready to call it a day?'

'Yeah … huh … ' she turns her head a bit towards Nate who gave her a small reassuring nod before turning again to face Deeks ' … what about we grab something to eat before we attack those?' she jerks her head towards the box in his hands.

'We could eat at my place and maybe watch a movie, if you're up to it?'

'Yeah, I'd like that!' he replies softly, his eyes wandering once again between Nate and Kensi, his gaze is a bit narrowed, one could say suspicious but he doesn't utter a word about it.

When Kensi is ready to go, she is about to hoist her bag on her shoulder when he all but grabs it from her and adds softly 'Here. Take those babies and I'll take your bag!'

For once, she doesn't argue about how she could probably run 20 KM with said bag on her shoulders or that she usually works out with much more than that… So instead she settles for a soft smile to him and a mouthed 'thank you' to Nate.

He watches while Kensi and Deeks's forms retreat towards the Mission's doors and he can't help but smile.

Yep! He still got it…

Not a 100% happy about the way this one turned out … Let me know what you think! Thanks - Emma


End file.
